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Armed AV500W flies as new designs surprise

18th September 2017 - 07:23 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Tianjin

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Last month the AV500W rotary-winged UAV from the AVIC Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province performed its maiden flight and conducted a munitions test firing.

Meanwhile, other innovative UAV designs appeared at the 4th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin.

Shephard understands that representatives of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were present at the AV500W’s demonstration, signifying the developer’s hope of selling the type to the Chinese military.

The AV500W is an armed version of the AV500 which has been flying since 2014. It has logged 1,200 hours of flight time to date and been delivered to various

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Author

Gordon Arthur

Gordon Arthur was the Asia Pacific editor for Shephard Media. Born in Scotland and educated …

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